Alice Glass

Prior to her first solo EP's surprise release in August, Alice Glass told Pitchfork her new electronic music sounds “like being eaten by fire ants” as well as “like being slowly consumed by a snake.” And the former Crystal Castles vocalist/songwriter's assessment isn't entirely off base — you'll feel like your eardrums are deteriorating after listening to this. Her eponymous EP is full of pop-punk-electronic wildness. It roars and slows and screeches and quickens. Glass's nails-on-chalkboard upper-range vocals are hard to handle through many of the tunes, but the single "Without Love" offers a more measured and worthy introduction to her work. (Laura Morrison)